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Hidzer Kiewiet de Jonge moved from Hong Kong as Head of NE Asia offices,
to Dublin, Ireland responsible for Rabobank Ireland PLC, its subsidiaries and the
Dublin Branch. Not surprisingly, the differences are great. His strategie focus has
shifted from largely corporate (F&A) clients in Greater China to structured finance
and investment book opportunities in Ireland. The organizational culture is also
significantly different. 'From long pauses in conversations in China and a strong
hierarchy of accountability to a more boisterous debating and democratie decision-
making in Ireland, l've had to adjust my behavior,' he says. De Jonge's professional
role has shifted away from making many daily operational decisions to spending
more time on strategie issues. Of the similarities between thetwo markets De Jonge
says, 'In Ireland, as in Asia, markets are very liquid and it's difficult to find the right
investment opportunities. I see our corporate client's board members struggling
with similar questions in both locations.'
Hidzer Kiewiet de Jonge
transit
From chickens and beer breweries to
mobile phones and broadband, Ed Smith
has moved from Rabobank Edinburgh to
the position of Global Head of the Global
Telecom, Media Internet Group (TMI)
with a 30-person team spread across the
globe. With the turnaround in the telecom
market, the time is right for TMI to cement
its place as a supporting pillarofthe
Rabobank Group. Smith is charged with
creating a consolidated team focused on
cliënt intimacy, monitoring market trends
and creating innovative financial
solutions for TMI clients. Maintaining a
strong internal dialogue with the many
departments of the Rabobank Group is
essential so that everyone can take full
advantage of the team's knowledge and
so shorten the turnaround time from idea
generation to delivering the financing
solution to the cliënt. What does Smith
have to say about his new role? 'It's an
extremely stimulating and professionally
challenging environment for me, where
every day brings a different deal opport-
unity or market development. I am on a
steep learning curve about the industry
and having to bridge the global business
hubs, while maintaining and adapting
our co-ordinated approach to clients. I
am impressed by the team and the way
they keep their fingers on the pulse of the
evolving local and global market trends.
At the same time, I am actively involved
in ensuring the TMI business is able to
exploit deal opportunities for Rabobank
group as we find and develop them.'
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The Word
